


sister mine

by starlightwalking



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angband, Evil Melkor, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Implied Morgoth Bauglir | Melkor/Sauron | Mairon, Injury Recovery, Mad Scientist Mairon, Not Evil Mairon, Science Experiments, much fluffier than the tags might imply
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:07:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27363232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightwalking/pseuds/starlightwalking
Summary: Thuringwethil flies again, and Mairon is happier than he thought he could be.
Relationships: Sauron | Mairon & Thuringwethil
Comments: 7
Kudos: 32





	sister mine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sisters_of_the_moon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sisters_of_the_moon/gifts).
  * Inspired by [the fire of life](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26299528) by [starlightwalking](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightwalking/pseuds/starlightwalking). 



> Inspired by sisters_of_the_moon’s request for “Mairon & Thuringwethil + Confession of Familial Love” from this [Found Family prompt list](https://arofili.tumblr.com/post/629184323680124929/found-family-prompts)!
> 
> This ficlet is set in the same verse as my other fic, "the fire of life" (linked as inspiration), but pre-everything that happens in that story.
> 
> For context: [Thuringwethil used to be an Eagle of Manwë](https://arofili.tumblr.com/post/187656608992/interesting-im-not-sure-about-all-bats-being) before she was [captured by Melkor](https://arofili.tumblr.com/post/190709400969/eccentricmya-my-silmarillion-soul) and [used in his experiments for flight](https://arofili.tumblr.com/post/136262081047/then-arose-thorondor-king-of-eagles-and-he-loved).
> 
> ETA: I can't believe I forgot to credit Harp_of_Gold's wonderful fic _[Build Up A New Us](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17806742/chapters/42012377)_ , where I got a lot of inspiration for Mairon's characterization in this verse, and especially for the relationship between him and Thuri :)

“I can _fly_ again!” Thuringwethil shouts, flapping around Mairon’s tower, pure joy radiating from her. “Mairon, look at me, look, I can _fly_ , I’m _flying_!”

Mairon is looking. He’s exhausted, having worked long hours on her tendons and bones and skin; shaping a mangled eagle into a bat, a bird into a mammal, was perhaps the most difficult thing he’d ever done in his life. But at last she’s healed from her final surgery, and Mairon couldn’t find any excuse to make her hold back from attempting flight.

 _What if she falls, what if she breaks again, what if I can’t fix her—_ Those thoughts are what had held him back, but as he watches her in the air, he grins. He _did_ it. She’s _healed_. And she’s so happy Mairon could cry.

It’s weird, being so attached to her. Since he left Aulë, the only person he’d let himself care for was Melkor—and he cares, so much, hopes that this success will prove his worth to the Master—but somehow in helping Thuri recuperate he’s grown to love her, too.

Thuri swoops down, engulfing him in a hug, the webbing of her wings wrapping around him like a blanket. “ _Thank you_ ,” she whispers fiercely. “I can’t—you’ve done so much for me—I can’t ever repay you but I’ll try, Mairon, I will, I’ll—I’ll swear myself to your service, if the Master lets me!”

Mairon almost stumbles back, both from the force of her impact and her emotion. He hasn’t been hugged since…he doesn’t remember. Maybe Aulë had hugged him, once, but that was a very, very long time ago.

And it feels good. It feels _right_. He hugs her back, trying not to cry. (He had too many eyes at the moment for that to be anywhere near a good idea.)

“You don’t have to do that,” he says. It’s not the way things work, here in Angband—it wasn’t the way things worked in Almaren, either, really. Hierarchy is important; family is secondary, and for beings like Ainur it felt…imposed, almost.

But Thuringwethil’s not an Ainu. She was an eagle, once, and she’s a vampire, now. She’s something entirely new, not quite like the Children that have only just woken but not like him, either. And yet he feels a kinship with her, one he can’t quite explain.

“But…” Thuri lets him go, crouching before him. “You mean you don’t expect that?”

“Thuri, you’re…” He can’t find the words. They don’t really exist, so he borrows the next best thing. “Thuri, I’ve come to love you over the course of our time together, like—like you’re family. Like you’re…my little sister, or something. I don’t want you to _serve_ me—but I do want you to stay with me. Maybe for the Master, that can look like service. But to me…I just want you to be my friend.”

Thuri squeaks, her eyes brimming with tears. “Mairon,” she whines, “that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me…!”

“I hope it’s not too forward,” he begins to apologize, but then she flings herself at him again and hugs him tight. Mairon doesn’t hesitate in hugging back, not this time.

“I wanna be your sister,” she whispers. “You’re the best big brother ever, Mairon. Even better than my hatchmates. _They_ let me get captured, but you put me back together.”

“I’ll be here for you,” Mairon promises. “I’ll always help you, Thuri. Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> Rebloggable on tumblr [here](https://arofili.tumblr.com/post/629568541204578304/excited-to-see-you-hit-3000-if-youre-still).
> 
> Thanks for reading, and please comment if you enjoyed!  
> You can find me on tumblr [@arofili](http://arofili.tumblr.com/).


End file.
